Installation

To use vftool, you need to compile it from the source code. This requires either the Xcode Command Line Tools or a full Xcode installation on macOS 11.0 (Big Sur) or newer.

Prerequisites

• macOS >= 11.0
• Xcode or Xcode Command Line Tools. You can install the command line tools by running:

  xcode-select --install

There are two primary methods for building vftool: using the provided Makefile or building directly in Xcode.

Building from the Command Line (Recommended)

This is the simplest method for most users.

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/evansm7/vftool.git
   cd vftool

2. Run Make

   Execute the make command in the root of the repository.

   make

   This command performs the following steps as defined in the Makefile:

   • Creates a build/ directory.
   • Compiles the vftool/main.m source file using clang, linking against the Foundation and Virtualization frameworks.
   • Applies a code signature with the necessary entitlements (com.apple.security.virtualization) to the resulting binary. The default signature is ad-hoc, which is sufficient to run the application on your own machine.

3. Locate the Binary

   The compiled executable will be located at build/vftool. You can run it from there or copy it to a location in your PATH, such as /usr/local/bin.

   # Example: copy to /usr/local/bin
   cp build/vftool /usr/local/bin/

Building with Xcode

If you prefer using an IDE, you can build the project with Xcode.

1. Open the Project

   Clone the repository as described above and open the vftool.xcodeproj file in Xcode.

2. Configure Signing

   • Select the vftool project in the Xcode navigator.
   • Go to the "Signing & Capabilities" tab for the vftool target.
   • You may need to select your Apple ID developer Team to satisfy code signing requirements. A free developer account is sufficient.

3. Build the Project

   • From the Xcode menu, select "Product" > "Build" (or press ⌘B).
   • Xcode will compile the source code and place the vftool executable in its derived data directory.
   • You can run it directly from Xcode or find the product in the "Products" group in the project navigator, right-click, and select "Show in Finder".